


I Don't Mind

by wildeisms



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Prompt Fill, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-09 02:21:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8871919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildeisms/pseuds/wildeisms
Summary: Based on a prompt sent by somethingyesterday on tumblr: "Jacob teaching Newt how to slow dance late one night and this leads them to realize their feelings for each other"





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [somethingyesterday](https://archiveofourown.org/users/somethingyesterday/gifts).



> Fun fact I don't actually know how to slow dance properly but I read a wikihow article so I feel like I've at least somewhat got this.  
> Also, this isn't explicitly trans or autistic Newt but everything I write is trans autistic Newt so you can know that in your heart while you read it.  
> Also #2, I am still taking prompts at wildeisms on tumblr if anyone else has a request for a short fic!

“I still can’t believe you don’t know how to dance.”

Newt sighed deeply. It had been almost half an hour since Queenie and Tina had gone out, since Newt had made a small, offhand comment declining the invitation to join them, and Jacob still hadn’t let the subject drop. 

“Outside of studying creature mating dances, the need has never come up.” Not to mention how excruciatingly embarrassing it would be to even attempt it. Newt Scamander was a tall, gangly man with about as much coordination and grace as the average flobberworm. Which is to say, very little. And he had seen those dances the muggles had developed nowadays. He was absolutely certain that if he were to try it, he would end up causing grievous harm to himself or whoever was stuck as his partner.

“You’ve  _ never _ taking a girl out dancing, then?” Jacob asked incredulously. 

Newt snorted at that. “The only girl I’ve done anything of the sort with has a glowing horn and comes with the risk of causing minor explosions.”

He could see Jacob struggling not to laugh at him, and had to force his features into a dignified expression. Was it so unusual to not have those experiences?

“Well, I don’t know about you English, but I’d say pretty much everyone dances around here. It’s not even that hard.” Newt raised his eyebrows. “It’s not! Well, some dancing is, but most is pretty easy. Look, I’ll show you.” 

Before Newt knew what was happening, a gramophone sparked into life and started to play a slow, soft tune. Jacob was in front of him, offering him a hand. “First you take your partner’s hand, like this, yeah?”

“Jacob, this is ridiculous. I don’t need to know how to dance, and I definitely don’t need to make a fool of myself trying.”

“Come on, humour me. We can stop if you really hate it, but you won’t know until you try.”

He had a point there, however annoying it was to have to admit it. And at least it was just Jacob, who had already seen Newt look a fool once or twice, rather than a whole hall of people around to watch him fail. Hesitantly, Newt took hold of Jacob’s hand and let him pull him to his feet.

“Put your hand on my shoulder,” he murmured as he moved closer to Newt, who had frozen up like he was a victim of the full body bind curse. “Hey, is dancing really more scary than the crazy beasts you’ve got in that case of yours?”

“Yes,” Newt insisted, but he did follow Jacob’s instructions and move his hand to the correct location. His heart was hammering hard in his chest, and seemed to pick up even further when Jacob placed his hand on Newt’s waist and shortened the gap between them to just a few inches. If Newt had not been so tall, they would have been almost nose to nose. 

“I’m going to lead, okay? All you have to do is follow what I do. So if my left foot moves backwards,” He moved it back slightly, “your right foot comes forward to keep them the same distance apart, got that?”

Newt nodded, an expression of sheer concentration creating a slight crease in his forehead. “You lead, I move my feet the same way you do.”

Jacob brought his foot back again and Newt hurried to copy. “Hey, it’s okay. This is all about taking it slow. Just close your eyes and listen to the music.”

“How will I copy you if I have my eyes closed?” 

“Don’t worry about it. That was just an example, we’re starting off nice and slow.” Jacob’s voice was low and rich, and despite his soothing words and the decrease in Newt’s anxiety, Newt’s heart was still beating far too quickly. But even so, he did as he was asked. “Now,” There was that voice again, and it was like he could feel it inside himself. Almost like phoenix song. “Just feel the beat of the song and you can start to sway a little.”

Newt wanted to open his eyes, to see what Jacob was doing and follow along, to make sure he wasn’t doing it wrong. But he didn’t. He just listened, and eventually found himself comfortable enough to start to move. He felt far safer than he had expected, like it didn’t even matter if he got it wrong, so long as Jacob kept him close and kept murmuring instruction to him.

“That’s it, good job,” Jacob whispered, and Newt could feel their movements falling into sync. His heart still felt strange, but it had started to slow into a comfortable beat. “Now I’m going to try a little turn, if I move like this,” He used their joined hand to guide their direction, "You move with me." Newt nodded and opened his eyes to follow closely.

It was then that he saw the expression on Jacob’s face. It was a look the likes of which had never been directed at him before, a look that made Newt feel like he himself was some spectacular magical creature worthy of adoration and admiration. And although Newt couldn’t quite see it, it was a look of combined fear and reckless abandon when faced the inevitable. Jacob Kowalski had well and truly fallen, and he had no intention to stop it.

Their eyes met and time stopped around them. Newt’s mouth was slightly open, but his breath was not coming to him as it should. He felt lightheaded, intoxicated, like he had just been hit over the head with something extraordinarily heavy, and yet the last thing he would call the feeling was unpleasant. On the contrary, it was one of the most wonderful feelings in the world. And in that moment his mind knew what his heart had been saying all along - he was in love. 

Neither of them would ever quite know how long they had stood there, simply looking at each other. All they knew was that after that unquantifiable period had elapsed, they both became acutely aware that the gramophone had stopped playing, and they had entirely forgotten to actually dance for however long it had been. They both seemed to come out of a trance, Newt flushing an embarrassingly deep shade of beetroot and stepping away, his eyes cast down to the ground, and Jacob letting him go with only minimal lingering and clearing his throat. 

“I’m sorry, I-” Newt began, running a hand through his own curls.

“Don’t be,” Jacob insisted, and with a boldness that surprised both of them equally, he stepped closer again. “I really don’t mind.”

“Oh. That’s- That’s good. I don’t, ah, I don’t mind either,” Newt stammered, ducking his head to try to hide his face. If only he were a little less prone to his face resembling a very freckled tomato every time he became even slightly flustered.

Jacob let out a soft laugh and cupped Newt’s burning cheek in his hand, and Newt giggled nervously. “This would also fall under the category of things I don’t mind,” he said breathlessly.

“Oh, yeah?” Jacob asked, and even though they were alone, his voice was low and soft, so clearly meant only for Newt. “And would kissing guys go on that list too?”

“It most certainly would. I-if you- I mean guys, in general, or you specifically, I don’t mean to be presumptuous - if that person wanted to, I mean. Obviously. Well, perhaps not obviously, I-”

Newt’s babbling was cut off abruptly as he was tugged downwards by his lapels and his lips caught in a deep kiss. Eyes wide in surprise, Newt took only a second to process that yes, this was really happening, before his arms wrapped around Jacob’s waist, holding him tight, as they kissed. 

They would, of course, both claim that it was perfect. It didn’t matter that the angle wasn’t quite right - Jacob blamed Newt for being too tall, Newt blamed Jacob for pulling him down so unexpectedly - or that their heads and noses may have bumped together more than once, or that it may not have been as seamless or as elegant as it always was in the pictures. It was their first kiss, the first of many, and it was everything to them.

When they broke apart, they both had a hint of pink across their faces, albeit Newt much more noticeably so. 

“Well, if that’s how dancing goes, I can certainly see why it would be considered a necessary life skill,” he said breathlessly. “Although I’m not entirely sure how much actual dancing I’ve learnt.”

“I’ll just have to give you some more lessons then, won’t I?”

“Please do. Particularly if they all end in that particular manner.”

“You don’t need a dance lesson as an excuse to kiss me,” Jacob chuckled. “I don’t mind.”

Newt took that advice to heart, and pulled him in once more. 


End file.
